MADISON –The state’s leading business organization is urging lawmakers from both parties to swiftly approve Governor Scott Walker’s jobs agenda during a special session later this month.
“Wisconsin families need jobs, and Governor Walker’s plan will improve our business climate so businesses can create jobs,” said James S. Haney, president of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce. “Lawmakers from both parties need to rally in support of improving our business climate.”
Walker, who took the oath of office today, immediately called the Legislature into a special session to approve a series of reforms aimed at improving Wisconsin’s business climate. In recent years, Wisconsin’s business climate has ranked poorly compared to other states, according to a number of analysts.
“Governor Walker’s plan is solid, and it sends the signal to the nation that Wisconsin is open for business,” said James A. Buchen, WMC vice president of government relations. “The time for passage is now.”
Walker’s plan calls for improvements in Wisconsin’s tax laws, including repealing the state tax on health savings accounts.
Additionally, Walker’s plan will get Wisconsin’s burdensome regulations under control by putting checks on the development of administrative rules that hamper job creation.
Walker’s plan also curbs lawsuit abuse, and provides reforms for product liability so manufacturers will be more likely to expand in Wisconsin.
“Governor Walker’s plan is a set of common sense reforms that the business community has sought for many years,” Haney said. “We have high unemployment. Families are struggling. It’s time to turn our state around and start creating jobs again.”
WMC has 3,500 members, who employee 500,000 Wisconsin workers. WMC is dedicated to making Wisconsin the most competitive state in the nation. WMC’s policy agenda is established by the WMC Board of Directors. The WMC policy agenda calls for passage of many of the items in the Walker jobs agenda, along with many other policy changes needed to improve Wisconsin’s business climate.
